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Fatah warns Hamas against targeting its members in Gaza

Other News Materials 19 January 2009 15:27 (UTC +04:00)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement warned its fierce rival, the Islamic Hamas movement, Monday against targeting its members in the Gaza Strip now that the Israeli operation in the salient has ended.

Fahmi Za'arir, a Fatah spokesman in Ramallah, said in a statement that once the Israeli ceasefire went into effect on Sunday morning, Hamas activists resumed their pursuit of Fatah members in the Strip, reported dpa.

"We will not accept that Hamas pursues our members as it has done since the first day of the ceasefire," he said.

He accused Hamas of killing at least 16 Fatah members, shooting over 80 in the leg and placing many members under house arrest.

"Fatah will not accept this under any circumstances," he said, warning "Hamas should understand our clear message."

Fatah's military wing, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, confirmed in a statement that Hamas has placed many Fatah members under house arrest, banning them from leaving their homes even to fight the Israeli soldiers.

They said Hamas did not give a reason for its action.

Hamas for its part accuses Fatah members in Gaza of providing Israel with information about Hamas strongholds and hideouts.

Hamas leader Salah Bardawil has even accused President Mahmoud Abbas of responsibility in the Israeli killing Thursday of SaId Siam, one of the top Hamas leaders in Gaza

He said in statements made in Cairo last week that Fatah has mobilized some of its forces in Gaza to expose Hamas hideouts to the Israeli army, and accused the group of collaborating with Israel in the war against Hamas.

The rivalry between the two movements extends back to January 2006, when Hamas defeated Fatah in the Palestinian legislative elections.

In June 2007 Hamas activists in the Gaza Strip routed Fatah members and police officers loyal to Abbas and seized control of the Gaza Strip in a week of bloody violence.

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